The operation and maintenance of unmanned aerial vehicle(s) (UAV) can be economically burdensome. Historically, traditional aircraft and rotorcraft have employed preventative maintenance techniques to help control maintenance costs. Preventative maintenance solutionsam2 1759US, also known as prognostic detection systems, can only be implemented when there is a sound knowledge of the failure mechanisms that are likely to cause the degradations that eventually lead to failures in the systems. Thus, it is necessary to identify system parameters and initial information on possible failures (include failure sites, modes, causes and mechanisms) to implement an effective prognostic detection system. An understanding of system parameters and initial information is generally achievable based on historical trends. As a relatively new technology, UAVs lack such a historical account of failure sites, modes, causes, and mechanisms.